Meaning of loosen someone's tongue | Babel Free

Definitions

To cause one to speak more freely; to cause one to discuss a subject that would not usually be discussed.

idiomatic, informal

Examples

“He made a long stay in the dining-room after dinner, and, I fear, took an unusual quantity of wine, but not enough to loosen his tongue: for when he came in and found me quietly occupied with my book, too busy to lift my head on his entrance, he merely murmured an expression of suppressed disapprobation […]”

“We relapsed into silence. Presently he laughed. “There’s something in this starlight that loosens one’s tongue. I’m an ass, and yet somehow I would like to tell you.””

“He admired the dexterity with which their host directed the conversation. The five young men had various tastes and their tongues had been loosened.”

“Tommy had apparently been plied with ice cream and soda pop at the police station, to loosen his tongue.”

CEFR level